ISLAMABAD — The number of polio cases in Pakistan has risen to 69, health officials reported Wednesday, following the confirmation of a new case in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to data by the World Health Organization, 67 polio cases were reported in Pakistan last year.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries in the world where polio has yet to be eradicated. Afghanistan reported 25 cases of police in 2024.
The disease primarily affects children under the age of five and can cause permanent paralysis in severe cases.
Despite global efforts to eliminate polio, progress in Pakistan has been hindered by security challenges, vaccine hesitancy, and the spread of misinformation. Health workers administering polio vaccines often operate in difficult and dangerous conditions, particularly in areas affected by militancy.
Of the 69 cases reported so far, 27 were recorded in Balochistan, 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 in Sindh, and two in Punjab and Islamabad.
Health officials have expressed concern over the disease’s resurgence and are urging intensified vaccination campaigns to curb its spread.
The reemergence of polio in Pakistan underscores the need for sustained efforts to combat the virus and highlights the broader challenges of addressing preventable diseases in regions with complex socio-political dynamics.
